BELMONT, N.C. — The Newberry Wolves (ranked No. 9 in the nation by The Open Mat) kept their undefeated 2020-21 season alive Wednesday night with a 27-15 win over Belmont Abbey in South Atlantic Conference Carolinas action.
The dual started at 125 pounds, where Zach Shupp picked up a fall over Brandon Crowder in 5:28, giving the Wolves a 6-0 lead. Austin Neal followed that up with a 9-1 major decision win at 133 pounds, making it a 10-0 lead for the Wolves. In the 141-pound match, Isiah Royal (ranked No. 1 in the nation by the National Wrestling Coaches Association) picked up his third major decision win of the season, this one being a 14-3 win to stretch the lead to 14-0.
At 149 pounds, Devan Moore picked up a takedown late in the third period to pick up a 7-6 win. Will Evans continued the Newberry winning streak, picking up a 10-3 win at 157 pounds to put Newberry up 20-0. After the Crusaders won at 165 pounds, Caleb Spears (ranked No. 5 in the nation by The Open Mat) racked up six takedowns en route to a 14-3 major decision win.
The Crusaders would win at 184 and 197 pounds, setting up a heavyweight matchup that required overtime to decide. After Bowdy Boyce and Jordan Hawthorne ended the third period tied at 1, they entered the sudden victory period, where neither wrestler was able to pick up points. In the tiebreaker rounds, Boyce picked up an escape then a takedown to win a 4-2 decision, making the final score 27-15.